Waterfall
by Paula Toledo
Summary: After Hades Battle, Shunrei is all alone, thinking Shiryu and Roshi are dead. But Shiryu returns and when everything seems to be ok, they start to discover the true story behind their past.
1. Waterfall Prologue

Waterfall - Prologue 

Everything was started at the beginning of Spring when snow had already melt down, left nothing but many little tideways headed themselves to Rozan river. The trees were just started to put forth fresh leaves and ready to branch out. Flowers of every kind were sprouting out, fragrant all over and the birds sang sweetly...

Everything seemed in jolly except for one creature...the only mortal that was left in a cottage near a waterfall. She was now alone since she had lost the 2 most important people to her, one who was like a father, always serves but kind, and the other...the one who was everything to her, brother, friend...love ?

She walked out of the cottage slowly, searching for some herb to make a tea.

Even such a wonderful sight couldn't help her recover form the sadness that had laid upon her; almost more than she could carry.

While she was kneeling to get the plant, the young girl felt an energy coming, an energy she knew very well, and she rise astonished. It could be possible...? He...No...that's impossible. She tried to drive that disturbing thought out of her head, he was gone...forever. There's no use to torture yourself by keep thinking he would be coming back...someday.

She kneeled by the river, staring empty into it, the water reflecting a shadow of a young woman, with no doubt, was very beautiful; just the sight of her could make the heart of those who saw it expand with delight, only if they wouldn't notice the two sapphire in her countenance that shone out in such a melancholy way as if they were stars that shone inside the dark cloud...

Suddenly she saw a shadow reflect on the river's surface, a shadow of a young man with long dark hair.. It could be nothing but...Shiryu!!

"Shiryu!" Shunrei exclaimed with joy. She bound up and quickly turned around, her eyes seeking for the owner of the shadow but no one was there..."Shiryu.." she cried out his name again...this time her voice was almost audible, only the sound of the waterfall responded her calling. Just like she had always been aware of, it was just a hallucination. She slowly sit back, almost unable to hold herself, leaning against the tree and releasing a long painful gasp. This was almost too much for her to bare...she keep having the same nightmare almost every nights and now this... she couldn't help to wonder how long it will continue like this.. a week ? a month ? a year ? or for a rest of her life ? She closed her eyes tight, feeling very much like crying but she couldn't. Her heart and tears had died away since the day she knew he was gone... Finally she got up, walked to the river, intending to wash her face but when she reached her hand to water she saw it again...the same shadow appeared again.

Shunrei didn't turn back this time, she didn't even wince. Aware that it was just the same, if she turned back, it'd gone...She reached her hand into the water and as soon as her finger touch it, little waves was dispersed out in every direction. The shadow in the surface was blurred for a while. Shunrei looked at it, hoping it would disappear but no.. when few minutes passed and water was flatted again.. it was still there. She bent her down and with out knowing herself, she started to talked to it " Shiryu.. you selfish thing ! You expects to keep me here forever, don't you ? Roshi used to tell me about the legend of Narcissus...and I felt so sorry for the young man who gave up his entire life to be a flower just to keep on looking his shadow...I understand his feeling very well now..." Then she paused, trying to fight back with all the emotion that is coming trough and whispered " Roshi you told me I must live but how ? Since you two...you are my life.. and you now gone.. what I'll supposed to have left ?"

" You have me, Shunrei."

She startled by an unexpected voice. Slowly she turned back, fearing to see no one was there again but there was someone there this time!

Shiryu was there, smiling gently as usual. Shunrei struck there, so surprised that she didn't know what she saw was a ghost or a man with fresh and blood.

She stood there, motionless for a second, then, she hurtled to him, flung her arm around his neck and buried her head on his shoulder. Her tears which she thought they had dried out from her body for a long time, was now back and they were burst out with a relief. Shiryu is back!

Thousand words were hold in her mouth but the only she could release out was a sob. Shiryu embraced her tightly and he stroked her hand gently. He couldn't help to notice that she was much paler and thinner than before. Poor thing, it must have been a very hard time for her being here alone. He held her tighter, blaming himself to be the caused of her suffering

"But...how...?" asked Shunrei, looking at him.

"Come, let's enter home." said Shiryu, walking towards the house. She followed him and once in the place, they sat in the room where Roshi used to stay in order to be near the fire in cold nights.

Shunrei and Kiki sat near Shiryu; she waiting for his words, he giving a support look to his friend.

"All the Golden Saints...All of them died in the Hades' Battle, Shunrei. Including Roshi..."

She tried to hide the tears that had appeared again.

"Only us, the Bronze Saints had survived..." continued Shiryu, trying to be cold "...because Athena saved us. And...Seiya stayed with his sister and Hoshino. Saori came back to Japan, in order to take care of the Grade Foundation. Shun went with her. Hyoga decided to go back to Siberia, and I don't know anything about Ikki."

"I...understand..." whispered Shunrei "We need to arrange a funeral to our Master..."

Shiryu agreed. Despite all that had happened, they should continue their lives. That was what Roshi would want. Shunrei was strong, he knew that. She would be able to be happy, despite the death of such important person in her life - and his too, he thought. And for him, it was enough to see her face, one thing that he thought he could never see again... The shine of her dark eyes that now were fixed in him gave him the strength to do anything. They would be happy, they would live peaceful now, there, in Rozan.

DISCLAIMER: Saint Seiya and its characters are copyright of Masami Kurumada. I don´t own any of them unfortunately. This story I started writing many years ago with a great friend of mine Kwanchai Lamubol. We didn´t finish it in that time, but now I´ll do it. Anyway, the credits of this story still goes to her too ok?

Comment please!


	2. Waterfall Chapter I

Waterfall – Chapter I 

The water was furious, it was like a live thing, splashing for all sides. He had never seen anything like that before, until in stormy days. But there was some beauty in that wild splash, and somehow, he knew he had already 'seen' that phenomenon sometime. The pool looked like greeting him, with it's own power...

To his astonishment, he could feel the water touching his body, and looking to himself, he saw blue scales for all his elegant and menacing form, and he felt portly horns in his big head. He was into the pool.

Then he saw the forest around him, and a young woman who somehow he knew from somewhere. Her long dark hair was free, looking like a cloak in her shoulders. Her wide dark eyes were shining mysteriously...There was something supernatural in that warm look, in that abysm that was the young's eyes...Her Chinese cloth was the most beautiful and rich he ever saw, adorning her goddess' body.

The woman started to walk towards him, with slow and tightly steps...

Shiryu opened his eyes suddenly, taking sometime to recognize his bedroom, in Rozan.

He saw the stars shining from the window, friendly, and he could listen to the waterfall's pleasant noise...

the water splashed... 

He was having the same dream every night from sometime now. The landscape looked like the one's from Rozan, but he had never seen that place in there.

The Saint get up, and walked to the window, feeling the fresh breeze from the night caressing his face, and that sky's color remembered him the color of Shunrei's hair.

She had noted he wasn't good. He knew that, but she hadn't asked him a word and he hadn't say anything to her, fearing he would concerned her with his own matters. She had suffered too much for him, with all his efforts in take her out of his problems. And now that everything was in a relative peace, for nothing in the world he would make her sweet and innocent smile disappear.

Shiryu closed his eyes, imagining the smile so precious of the girl who was sleeping in the other bedroom. She was so calm and kind...too perfect to be real.

Saori-san was a pretty girl too, anyway, very different from Shunrei. But he knew it was normal for his friend has that perfect beauty. She was Athena after all. But Shunrei...she was so beautiful or more than Saori...and she was an human...her dark blue eyes were like the deeps of the water from the pool, warm and truly...

Then he remembered his woman's dream's strange eyes, and shivered, opening his own gray eyes.

The day was quiet and normal, the air was neither so hot neither so cold.

Shunrei was finishing to make the breakfast, when Shiryu appeared in the kitchen.

She studied him calmly, seeing the dark lines in his eyes. He hadn't sleep again, it was clear to anyone.

Trying to ignore this, she smiled. "Good Morning, Shiryu! Let's have breakfast!"

Kiki came running and, happy as always, sat at the table to eat too.

"Thank you, Shunrei." said Shiryu, smiling at her too, forgetting his tiredness. All that night he had thought in her, in her face, almost fearing to loose her someday, and now that he could see her there, in front of him like this, knowing that to touch her he only needed to rise his arm, was erasing all the bad feelings his heart had sent to his mind.

Anyway, he should think at the forest...

"Shunrei..." he whispered, fearing her reaction.

To his astonishment, she smiled again, without needing to finish his request." You can go to the forest. For me it's okay. I just need to know if you're safe."

Her psychic senses were wonderful!

"Hmmm...why should he go to the forest, Shunrei?" asked Kiki, unfortunately not so sensitive as the girl.

Shiryu and Shunrei laughed and she turned her face to her adopted brother." And please, Shiryu, try to put an end to these nightmares who are making you lost your night so much."

Admired, he nodded then get up , ready to go. At the door, he turned to her. "In a few days I'll be back."

"Hai." she said, getting the breakfast dishes from the table.

Kiki looked from one to other, then cried." Why is he going away???"

The girl put one thin hand at the boy's shoulder, while Shiryu went out. "Because he needs to be alone." she answered sweetly.

"Ahh..."

Shiryu walked with no direction in the forest, leaving his mind blank from every thought besides his strange dreams.

At the Sunset, he found what he was looking for: the river and the waterfall he had seen in the dream.

Suddenly, he felt a wave of energy coming behind him and turned, ready to defeat himself; and he saw one shadow coming close in tightly and soft steps.

When the shape stopped in front of him, he recognized the woman from his dreams.

"Who are you?" he asked, facing her.

She smiled, coming closer, her eyes darker than ever.

"My name's Mei-Li. I'm here to return you to your past, and take you back to our tribe, Great Sui-Long."

Flashes came into his mind when she finished saying that last word. Flashes from another life, old, ancestral, flashes from his own life, like a dragon god...the elder dragon of water, Sui-Long, as he had being called. That woman was from his past too...Mei-Li, the elder dragon of Air.

He remembered a choice too...a choice made more than ten years ago...he had decided to leave that power, wisdom and coldness behind him, and had decided to live like human, to learn what was human's love...when he remembered this option, he saw like a soft touch in his mind the smile and the shine of Shunrei's eyes. He chose to be human to live with her...

DISCLAIMER: Saint Seiya and its characters are copyright of Masami Kurumada. I don´t own any of them unfortunately. This story I started writing many years ago with a great friend of mine Kwanchai Lamubol. We didn´t finish it in that time, but now I´ll do it. Anyway, the credits of this story still goes to her too ok?

Comment please!


	3. Waterfall Chapter II

Waterfall – Chapter II 

Mei-Li waited patient until Shiryu recovered from the memories that had awakened into his mind. Feeling triumphant, she continued, putting a small hand in his shoulder.

"Sui-Long, it's time to you come back to us. You lived too much here with the..." she stopped, trying to control her voice who was full of disdain. "...humans...We miss you...and your wisdom...You need to go back to our World...will you come?"

Shiryu finally looked at her, and answered with a calm voice:

"Mei-Li...I'm sorry, my friend, but I won't go back with you. I made a choice. I chose to live here with the mortals..." he paused for a moment and she tried to say something, but he cut off her words. "It won't make any difference for me to know who am I. No difference."

Her eyes widened in shock. How could...it make no difference? Was he truly the Sui-Long she knew, who loved the power and his tribe?

Suddenly her soft face shadowed with knowledge.

A woman! Of course there was a woman involved in his decision...but...a mortal! How could...? Sui-Long had never fell in love with anyone if she was right...the only women who came close to his heart was herself and...the Greek goddess Nike...She tried to control her angry with the simply memory of her old rival. But Nike disappeared before Sui-Long decided to be human...so...another woman had appeared...a mortal!

"Sui-Long." she said. "There is a woman involved in this hole thing...I know this. And I'm going with you to your mortal home to know her. I want to see the woman who can take the Great Sui-Long's heart."

Shiryu stayed in silence for some time, thinking. And when the other had started to walk towards his house, he got her wrist tightly.

"No. I don't know how Shunrei will react...."

Mei-Li had to control herself again when she listened to the woman's name. Spring Splendor, hn...?!

"...I don't want to loose her...if she knew who am I." he finished.

"Hn!" she muttered, pushing her wrist to free herself from his warm hand. "If this woman can't bare the true of your REALLY self, she doesn't deserve you, my lord, and you know this."

Then, she studied his face when he turned to see the waterfall.

His human form was handsome, she thought. He was much taller then her, his dark hair long until his knees, straight like no other hair's. His eyes were vague now, lost in some thought, but it's color was amazing, of an unique gray.

Yes, he was Sui-Long, there wasn't any doubt. Only him could had that beauty in a form totally...human.

Shiryu thought about the situation. He could loose Shunrei if he told her the truth. He WOULD loose her if he did so. But he couldn't hide from her that secret. It would be worth. Someday she'd know the hole thing and would be deadly hurt knowing he had kept that secret hidden from her for such time...and see her hurt was worth than loose her.

"OK, Mei-Li. You can come with me. I'll tell Shunrei the truth." he said with a little voice.

The young woman nodded and followed him to his home.

"Look, Shunrei!" called Kiki, who was at the window.

"What happened, little one?" the girl asked, coming close.

"Shiryu's coming back..."

"But...he's already coming?" she exclaimed, looking at the night to see his shape.

Both of them were surprised when they saw two shadows.

Soon Shiryu and Mei-Li entered the house.

Shunrei and Kiki were waiting near the door, silent.

"Shunrei..." said Shiryu with a whispered. "I want you to know Mei-Li."

The elder dragon came close to Shunrei and greeted her.

"Nice to meet you."

Shunrei looked at her and at Shiryu, then answered:

"The...the pleasure's all mine..." she almost completed with one 'I guess', but she kept silence.

"I need to talk to you, Shunrei." asked Shiryu.

The girl looked at him, concerned. That situation wasn't good... But she nodded and followed him to other room, leaving Mei-Li and Kiki there.

The little boy looked at the woman feeling sick in her presence. She wasn't a good person, he knew that...but she had a pretty smile...

Shiryu sat in a chair and indicated with his eyes to Shunrei sit too.

Then, he took a deep breath and started to tell his story, all about his past life...the truth about Mei-Li and himself.

He watched while that loved eyes widened in shock, the tears slowly appearing there, making the shine of her eyes deeper and intense.

Shiryu raised from the chair and came close to her, inclining to be very close to the girl, who pulled back instinctively.

"Shunrei...I may be a dragon, but I chose to be human for you. I want to live this life only with you....you're my most precious treasure...my little one..." the words pained to out but when finally came they were all emotion, while his own eyes filled with crystalline tears.

He raised a hand to touch the girl's delicate arm, but she lifted up quickly and, faster than him, ran out of the little room, crossing the place where Mei-Li and Kiki still stood and going out to the forest.

Kiki blinked, and glanced a mad look to Shiryu, who had appeared in the other door, crying her name. Without a second thought, the little boy went out behind his friend.

Mei-Li watched the scene with a little triumphant smile, then came close to Shiryu who was still there, stopped in shock:

"Well, It looks like the woman is weak to be at your side, Sui-Long. You loose all of your mortal life now. Do you see how fragile are the humans?"

She touched his face softly and he pulled back, turning his eyes to watch her, with no words yet.

Compressive, Mei-Li distanced herself from him:

"I'll wait, until you decide to come back with me."

Then, she was gone without a noise, all of herself truly happy. But the girl was really pretty for a mortal!

DISCLAIMER: Saint Seiya and its characters are copyright of Masami Kurumada. I don´t own any of them unfortunately. This story I started writing many years ago with a great friend of mine Kwanchai Lamubol. We didn´t finish it in that time, but now I´ll do it. Anyway, the credits of this story still goes to her too ok?

Comment please!


	4. Waterfall Chapter III

Waterfall – Chapter III 

Shunrei was running without looking back; all she could think is that she should had never born to know Shiryu. How could he be...a god...? He was immortal...she would never be enough to stay at his side...and Mei-Li looked very interested for the place. Maybe she could make him happier after all. At a least she would be able to be at Shiryu's side, always, a thing that her, in her fragile mortal form would never be able to do...

"Shunrei!" she heard an infant cry behind her. "Shunrei-chan!!!"

Without strength to run anymore, with all her energy drained by the infinite despair, she stopped and turned to watch Kiki, who came quickly to her side.

The boy stopped in front of her, breathing fast to get some air into his lungs.

"Oh...god...I ran a lot..." he muttered, closing his lilac eyes.

She sat in the green grass, hiding her face into her hands, trying to stop her tears without any effect.

Kiki sat at her side too, concerned.

"You can't be like this, Shunrei..." he said, without knowing what had really happened at the cottage. But how could Shiryu appear with that woman and leave Shunrei like this? How could he hurt her so much?

Shunrei left him to embrace her, while he continued talking:

"What happened at all?"

She couldn't say a word, and the boy turned his face to watch the sky, with all its stars...The Draco constellation was shining brightly, and he asked for it's help silently.

"It's because of Mei-Li, isn't it?" he whispered softly. "Don't be like this, please. I don't think she can get Shiryu from you...no way... Why the fear, my friend? Shiryu and you should talk more about this...you can't just ran away from the things you fear, leaving the rest behind you."

Slowly, the words made some effect in the girl, and her tears stopped coming. She raised from the ground, and tried to smile to her little friend:

"Kiki...Thank you...You're right...I can't run like a coward..."

He nodded, his eyes shining happy:

"Go ahead so!"

Shunrei opened the house's door carefully, noticing that everything was dark. For a few moments, she thought he wasn't there, and maybe had left with the woman, but then she felt his Cosmos.

She found him in the same chair they had talked before, sleeping, but his face was still concerned. He had in his hands a rose flower, the flower she loved most, and the same one that he had gave her sometime ago, before going to Japan and becoming one of Athena's Saints.

The girl repressed her own tears, felling sorry for him. How could she fear him? She was the one that better knew him...he was her life...without him...what would be of her?

Being careful to not wake him up, she took a sheet to cover him, since it was a little cold. When she came closer to him, she suddenly realized how fragile he was. His face was so concerned and at the same time childish... does it really matter is he had been a Dragon in the past? Today he was just Shiryu, the Dragon Saint, the brother who grew up with her, her last motive to continue living, her love.

What was Mei-Li's feelings, comparing to her own feelings for him?

Tears dropped from her eyes to Shiryu's cheek, and he wake up, watching her with sleepy and deep gray eyes.

Surprised, she tried to hide her tears but she couldn't. When she turned her face away from him, she felt a gentle touch in her own face. Shiryu's hand was touching her cheeks and wept away her tears.

Shunrei looked back at him, her eyes widened in shock. Felling his warm hand, she closed her eyes, trying to make that moment eternal.

Suddenly, she felt hot lips touch her own ones.

Shiryu embraced her in a possessive gesture, bringing her closer to him, caressing her hair with trembling hands, fearing she would ran away again.

Felling everything get away from her mind, Shunrei raised her own hands to embrace him too, her eyes still closed, knowing no one could see them now. It was too dark, except for the moonlight that came from the windows.

"Shiryu, Shunrei, I..." the two of them pulled back from each other, surprised with the interruption of the infant voice, both felling empty after breaking the kiss.

Kiki had stopped into the room, his lilac eyes widened:

"Er...hn...I didn't know you two would decide the things SO fast..."

Shunrei knew her face had turned to red, and looking at Shiryu, she noted he was in the same way...

She walked away a little more from her loved one:

"Hn...I guess it's too dark here... perhaps I should turn on the lights...?"

Kiki laughed, happy. He knew these two couldn't keep one too far from the other for much time...That was love! The same love Seiya felt for Saori, the same love Ikki felt for Emeraude...he wished that when he'd fell in love with someone the things wouldn't be so complicate...

But out of the house, Mei-Li had to repress a hate cry from her lungs when she saw the little romantic scene.

That damned mortal!!!

In that moment, she swore to herself she would kill that girl.

DISCLAIMER: Saint Seiya and its characters are copyright of Masami Kurumada. I don´t own any of them unfortunately. This story I started writing many years ago with a great friend of mine Kwanchai Lamubol. We didn´t finish it in that time, but now I´ll do it. Anyway, the credits of this story still goes to her too ok?

Comment please!


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